Art Rupe founded Specialty Records, known for its rhythm and blues, blues, gospel and early rock and roll music recordings, in Los Angeles in 1946.
14 Facts About Art Rupe
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Art Rupe was born to a working-class Jewish family on September 5,1917, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania and grew up in nearby McKeesport.
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Art Rupe's father was a factory worker who had immigrated from Galicia, and his mother was a housewife born in Pittsburgh.
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Art Rupe attended college at Virginia Tech, Miami University, and University of California, Los Angeles.
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Toward the end of the war, Art Rupe resolved to get into the entertainment industry.
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Art Rupe decided that the secret lay in a big band sound with a churchy feel.
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Art Rupe found the recording talent he needed in the many after-hours clubs in the Watts district.
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Art Rupe recorded but ultimately chose not to release two songs that later became big hits, "You Send Me" and "Summertime".
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In 1952, Rupe first traveled to New Orleans because of his attraction to the gospel sound of Fats Domino who played piano in the band of Dave Bartholomew, a former trumpeter with Duke Ellington.
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Art Rupe sent Blackwell to New Orleans to do a recording session, and during a recording break Little Richard sang an obscene song while playing the piano.
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Art Rupe recorded Guitar Slim, with a young Ray Charles on piano.
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Art Rupe settled for $11,000 and waived his rights to royalties from such hits as "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally".
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Art Rupe died on April 15,2022, at his home in Santa Barbara, California.
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Art Rupe was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2007.